According to the International Franchise Association, franchise industry growth exceeded expectations in 2023—and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down in 2024. Rosy outlooks like these have led to a surge of interest in franchise ownership from both those new to franchising and established franchise owners looking to shift gears.
For some, the process of getting started may seem daunting, which is why it can be helpful to hear from those who have been there before, like our Spherion franchise owner community. We asked some of our franchisees to share more about their experiences and their path to successful franchise ownership. This time, we’re hearing from the husband-and-wife franchising team of Cayley and Elliott Henson. After many years in the staffing industry, Cayley and Elliott explored several other franchise ownership options, but none felt like the right fit. Ultimately, Cayley’s early career experience with Spherion led them to finally open a Spherion franchise—and they’ve never looked back. We’ve asked them to share more about their experiences, from their early days as new franchise owners to today, as successful owners of Spherion Seminole, TX, and Spherion Victoria, TX.
Why did you choose to franchise with Spherion?
Cayley:
Spherion has always been a brand of excellence in my book. After winning On-Site Manager of the Year in 2006, I left Spherion to explore working for another agency in Houston. From 2006 until I bought my first Spherion branch in 2015, I worked for three other staffing agencies. They in no way compared to the level of service and commitment that I had seen Spherion provide.
Tell us your Spherion story: What was your path to Spherion franchise ownership?
Cayley:
I began as a call center agent in my very early 20s at a Spherion-staffed call center. I was pretty quickly promoted into leadership and worked for Spherion in Victoria, TX , Atlanta, GA, and Houston, TX. While I was an on-site manager in Houston in 2006, I won On-Site Manager of the Year and attended a Performance Forum [reward trip] in the Bahamas. While at the forum, I learned about the business ownership side of Spherion—which was new to me, as I had always worked on the corporate side. I fell in love with the owner community and told myself that one day I would own a Spherion office. Fast forward to 2015, and the opportunity presented itself to buy the West Texas and eastern New Mexico market.
What does a typical day in the office look like for you?
Cayley:
After 25 years in this industry working in pretty much every role possible, I can firmly say that staffing requires you to be able to roll with the punches. For me, a typical day involves doing everything from working with clients to drafting new customer bids to coaching the recruitment team, and even to talking with and working with temporary employees who are going through a tough time.
Elliott:
We intentionally stay very available to both our temporary employees and our clients, so that everyone we work with knows they can reach out at any time. We also spend a lot of time at our client sites. Most days, either Cayley, myself, or both of us can be found in one of our offices or at one of our client’s sites checking in on things.
What’s one thing you know now that you wish you knew when going through the potential franchisee process?
Elliott:
I wish we had known more about the Spherion franchise owner community and how supportive they are. We previously owned a different franchise, and it was not that way at all. When we began our franchise ownership journey with Spherion, we had tried to do it all ourselves, and it took us a few years to really get connected and realize what a great group of supportive franchise owners there are in this community.
What is the most rewarding part of being a Spherion franchise owner?
Elliott:
Besides working with my wife every day, I’d say the building, developing, working with, and volunteering with our internal team.
Cayley:
They are great people who really work hard in their communities to put people to work. They treat the temporary employees so well when they come into our office and day in and day out. I feel so blessed to be a part of that process.
Franchising with Spherion offers autonomy and support
Cayley and Elliott are part of a community of dozens of franchise owners who are thrilled with their choice to work with Spherion. Offering a blend of independence along with the support of a leader in the staffing space, franchising with Spherion gives owners everything they need to hit the ground running, grow rapidly, and achieve their entrepreneurship goals.
If you, like them, are interested in starting your franchising journey, we encourage you to text, call, or email Dan Brunell, our Regional Vice President of Franchise Development, for more information. With more than 30 years of experience helping prospective franchisees succeed, Dan can give you the insights you’re looking for when considering joining our franchise community.